Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Sherlock Series Two: The Watson/Holmes Bromance

There are a few things the character of Sherlock Holmes must always be. He must be a genius. He must have a ginormous ego. And he absolutely must love Watson.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes on Sherlock The Great Game Sherlock Holmes Benedict Cumberbatch

The other Holmesian things - the drug use, the loner status, the untidyness, the possible depression and/or Asperger's Syndrome - those are pick-and-choose in your modern day adaptations. But his Watson love is absolutely necessary.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes on Sherlock The Great Game Sherlock Holmes Benedict Cumberbatch

When you've got a character who is cold and detached 99% of the time, the remaining one percent is vitally important. Because when Sherlock is being a complete ass, the audience can be amused, we can be impressed, we can be drawn-in by the mystery, but without that 1% of not-douchebaggery, we'll never really care. We have to identify with Watson. We have to understand why he doesn't tell Sherlock to go screw.

Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson on Sherlock The Great Game Sherlock Holmes Martin Freeman Watson

This was my problem with the second episode of Sherlock. Him and Watson had met but they weren't quite besties yet. And frankly, the two spent too much time apart. The theatricality of Sherlock was played up, and it was amusing, but it didn't make me crave more more more. But the final episode of series one did. Why? Because Moriarty put Watson in imminent danger. And it rattled Sherlock's cage.

So the identity of Moriarity is revealed. He's this guy ^^^. He's a creepy little prankster who is the yin to Sherlock's yang. The heads to his tails. The nook to his cranney. The peanut butter to his jelly.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes on Sherlock The Great Game Sherlock Holmes Benedict Cumberbatch

Putting Sherlock's arch enemy fully into the mix by having him strap a bomb to Watson's chest was pure fun. Sherlock keeps his cool but on the inside he's super worried about his friend. He asks Watson about a dozen times if he's all right. And he's a jittery mess when M steps away. You don't mess with the few people Sherlock does care about because home boy will take you down.

Or will he? Series Two of Sherlock is about Sherlock in a way series one is not. With the unveiling of Moriarty at the end of series one, the show began its examination of who this version of Sherlock Holmes really is. The three mysteries of series two brilliantly highlight and examine the inner workings of Sherlock's mind.

Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson on Sherlock The Great Game Sherlock Holmes Martin Freeman Watson

As I mentioned in this post, the first episode of series two was an examination of Sherlock's love and whether he's capable of it at all. (Spoiler alert, he totally is). The second episode, airing this Sunday in the US, is about what terrifies Sherlock. And in the fantastic series two conclusion, Sherlock's bromance with Watson is once again front and center and it's SO DAMN ANGSTY.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes on Sherlock The Great Game Sherlock Holmes Benedict Cumberbatch

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Episode three is the big emotion-dump but episode two has its fair share of fun. I'm looking forward to talking about it next week!

I KNOW what's going to happen, Watson is going to punch Sherlock in the goddamned head. Remember 'Scandal'? Remember when he got Waston to hit him and Waston went oh-hell-no on his ass? That times twenty plus however many years/months/whatever it's been that he thought Sherlock was dead.